Plate clamp



' L.. A. SCHMIDT ILATE CLAMP Filed Feb, 2, 192e 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 i I" 2.9 I

tion to provide a clamp which can be ma-@ be produced on thecylinder.

' is frequently desirable,

Patented. Nov. 22, 1927.

NITEo 4s'rA"r| =;sj PATENT OFFICE; i

Louis A. SCHMIDT, or BROOKLYN,- NEW YORK, AssIGNoR To R. non ak co., INC., 'or Y -NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

I .PLATE CLAMP.

Application filed February 4, l1926. Serial No. 85,884.

This invention relates to certain improve- `ments in plate clamps. f Y

In printing practice, where stereotype or similar'plates yare employed, the plates are clamped on the plate supports bymeans of clamping devices which lap over the edges of the plates and by which the plates are clamped against a suitable abutment so thatv the plates arey rigidly held in position during'` l and improved means for locking -this clamp the printing'operation.

In printing certain products, as, for 1nstance, newspapers, the printing is usually effected on rotary machines in which" they capacitated to,

plateV supports are Vcylinders carry a number of plates wide, that is, widthwise of the cylinder.' Between twoadjacent plates are formed what are usually termed margin' spaces, that is,r spaces 1nl which no printing is effected, so that the de sired margin between the pages is produced.v

These margin spaces are kusually produced by the clamps for clamping the plates in position on the cylinders. It frequently happens that different width products are to As, for instance, it may be necessary tochange fromr a page six'columns wide to one seven and viceversa, and itis very desirablethatthis change ymay be quickly/.made with the lleast possible loss of time inthe adjustment. To effect this,especially when changing from a six column to a seven Vcolumn plate, an

undesirably slow adjustment'of the inner` clamps has to be done. Furthermore, rit

print a double wide `page,.this page being printed from a double wide plate. Where this is done, itis necessary to Vremove the clamps entirely from the cylinder.v Also,'"

when the cylinder is printing .fourplates wide the center margin is xed and thel plates are clamped against this. Y VVhen,

therefore, it is desired to take oit aninsidev plate it .has beennecessary to loosen'fboth the outside and'inside clamps,

It is a special object of the present inven;

Y.: changsahly pcstionedon the` cylinder with vproduce' for special work, to.

offa double wide product without remov the vcylinder Vor other ing the clamp from plate'vsup'port.

yA` further object of the invention is vto i' which may be readily installed and which will, hold plates firmly in clamped position',

in adjusted position being also provided.'

a clamp of *simple construction Itlis a further'ob'je'ctofthe present invention to provide a clamp arrangement by which an inside plate maybe removed with# outy unlockingthe outside' or' inside clamps, and which at the same time .permits the quick change from six to seven columns, or other desired column width of plate,

With` these and other objectsnot specifi-4 cally referred toin view, thelinvention consists in kcertain f novel' parts,y arrangements andl combinations which will be described in connectionwith vthe accompanying draw-V ings andthe 'novel features pointed lout in" the' claims vhereunto annez'red.-l

Referring now to? these -drawings,- i

Figure 1 -is a vside view, partly in section, of `the improved clamp, certainparts being broken away to show the constructn; v u. A

Figure 2 1s a planfview, partly in section,

of the structure shown in Figure vl;

"Figure 3 isa sectional view, the section being taken on line 3-3' of Figure l;A

` Figure 4 is afsectional view of a clamping arrangement'by which an inside plate may be removed l,without unclamping thev outer and inner clamps, the Vfigure Showing a` vwide Figure rower'p1ate; and

Figure vfisA ble wide plate. l

Referringnow to these drawings andrst to Figures:1-3,' the invention has been illus# trated as elrnp'loyeduwit-h a plate support capacitated to' carry two or more platesgwide, two such plates, indicated. 41,2, being shown, these plates being provided'with the usual, bevelled edges' 3. .In the particular a similary view showing a douf i construction illustratedthis platesupppr't la' ,Y i

V6, of this clamp is provided With a clip 7,

a cylinder, indicated at 4, though rit Will bel understood as to certain of its features the' ble Wide page or plate, and in which the clamp adjustment for :the dierent pages may be quickly effected.

, Generally speaking, this is eeict'ed by av clamp which isprovided with tvvo clamping surfaces arranged on differentsides or" the*y clamp but in offset relation to each other and by providing the clamp With a plane side.- 'This clamp is so arranged that it m-ay be manipulatedA to bring either the planel side or either ot the plate holding clips into op-` erati-ve position vvithrespect to the'suriace of the cylinder and, inthe best constructions, this manipulating movement Will be a. rotary one', so that by simply turning the clamp by means of a suitable tool the desired side may bebrought into position.

In the particular construction illustrated, therefore, there is provided a clamp which is generally triangular in shape, this clamp being indicated by the numeral 5. One side,

thisclipyhaving `undercut sides 8 corresponding to the bevelled sides 3 of the'plates'. Ann other side of thev clamp,as side 9, is also provided With a clip l10 having undercut sides ,11"corresponding to the A bevelled edges 3 of the plates. It Will be observed, referring to Fig. 3, that the clips-7, 10, are in oitset relation to eachother, that is, the clip 10 is formed on one edge of the side 9 Aof the clamp and tho 'clin 7 istorm'ed on the opposite edge of the side 6, the clamp being Wide enough soV that this offsetting produces the required variation in the Width of the prod-- ucts that are tobe produced, as, for instance, one column. llt/'ithv this construct-ion` it tollovvs that, assuming the plates 1 and 2 tobe seven columns vvide, by rotating the clamp to bring the clip 10 into plate clamping position and clip 7 tion, the plates s iX columns Wide may be used by simply lsetting up the outside clamps and thus products of different Widths may be produced interchangeably on the cylinder:

The third side, 12, of the particular clamp shown is fiat or plane and When theclampis manipulated to bring this toward'` the' surface of the cylinder the clips are moved out of the Way so thatone double Wide plate'may be used instead ofthetivo plates, 1,42. s

The clamp may besecured in the Acylinder and may' be' manipulated to effect its 'liuncv` tions in various Ways.v beforestated, however, inthe preferred construction the' out of Vplate clamping posi# adjustable movement of the clamp is a rotary one. In the particular structure shown the cylinder is recessed, as indicated at 13, to receive a blockla having a removable face plate 15. This block forms a'bearing'for a spindle 16 on which the Clamp is mounted so thatit mayhave a rotary movement inV the block, the block being cutoutlin a circular fashion, as' indicated atl, to permit the rotation of' the clamp. rThis block may be held in place in various Ways. In the particularronstruction shown the block is cut away to form shoulders 18 which receive` the Aheads of securing bol-ts 19 which are screwed into the cylinder Wall, as clearly shown in Fig. 3. Y i

In the best constructions, means are provided for holding the clamp in adjusted pol sition against accidental movement, these means, however, ybeing such as not 'to pre-` vent the ready adjustment of the4 clamp. In the particular construction illustrated, thisis e'ii'ected by plungers 2O having rounded ends 21,V these plungers being seated 'against springs 22 located in sockets 23 formed in. the head of cap 15bei'ore referredto. Thesel plungers project slightly into the path or the clamp and are arranged to engage in rounded depressions 26 formed in one vtace of the clamp, three of these. depressions be-V ing provided and three plungers so that the clamp isheld in any o'l' its three adjusted positions. It Willbe observed that theplungers not only hold the clamp invposition but will readily slide in and out of the depres-A sions When the clamp is manipulated, Y Any suitable means for rotating the clamp may be provided. As shown, therevare provided three sockets, indicated vat 27,' one ineach side of the clamp, which vvill receive, a suitable toolv by which the clamp may be readily adjusted. j, The head orj cap 15 may' beisecured to the block yin any suitable man ner, as, for instance, by screw bolts v28. i

Referring now to Figures 4i. andt, the operation ot the clamp as described Will be plain. In addition these iigures show an arrangement by which theinside plate 2 may be removed Without,manipulating the outside plate adjustingbolt 29 and ,ClampflhA nor the inside rotary clamp 5., As there" shown the centerl margin bar is in the form of a clip 31 and a movable clamp block 32,

llol i thisblock clamping, the' inner edgefoi' the.

vinner plate 2l ,Sufficient space is left l' for the movement of this block to the right, that is, toward .the clip 31. By manipulating this block` the inner plate can be quickly ref moved Without manipulating the clamps 3() and 5. VWhile the block 32 may be adjusted in yarious Ways, as shwn'itfhas threaded thereto a vbolt 34 carrying a gear 35, this bolt being'wsupfp'ort'ed at its other end in a. block 3 6. vPreferably they'V gear 'is prevented from accidentaliy turning by a ballf' 37 pressed uli against the gear by a spring 38. This gear S5 pray be turned by any suitable adjusting too. f

While the invention has been shown and described in its preferred form, it Will be understood that certain changes may be made in the specific structure and form of the clamp and the means of mounting it Vin thecylinder Without departing from the invention.

l/Vhat I claim is: y

l. In a plate clamp, the combination of a plate support.,y a clamp positioned in operative relation With the support, clamping surfaces on the clamp arranged in offsetv relation to each other a distance corresponding to the Width of a column or other predetermined section of a plate, and means for-manipula-ting the clamp to bring either surface into operative relation With a plate.

2. In a plate clamp, the combination of a plate support, a clamp positioned lin operative relation with the support, clamping surfaces on the clamp arranged in offset' relation to each other a distance corresponding to the Width of a column or other predetermined section of a plate, a planesurface on the clamp, and means for manipulating the clamp to position anyof the surfaces in desired relation With la plate.

3. In a plate clamp, the combination of a plate support, a clamp `positioned in operative relation with the support, clamping surfaces thereon of equal Width transversely of f the cla-mp, and means for manipulating the clamp to bring either surface into operative relation with a plate.

. e. In a plate clamp, the combination of a plate support, a clamp positioned in operative relation with the support, clamping surfaces on the clamp arranged in offset relation to each other a distance corresponding to the Width of a columnor other predetermined section of a plate, a plane surface on the clamp, means' for manipulating-'the clamp to position any of the surfaces in desired relationl with a plate, and means for holding the clamp against movement in any of its adjusted positions. f

I3. In Va plate clamp, the combinationpof a plate support, a three sided clamp positionedresponding tothe Width of a column or other predetermined section of a plate, and a plane surface on the third side, and means for manipulating vthe clamp to position any of the surfaces in desired relation with a plate.

6. Infa plate clamp, the combination of a plate support, a recess therein, a f clamp block rotatably mounted in the recess, clampingsurfaces on the block arranged in offset f i relation to each other a distance corresponding to the'ilvidth of a column or other predetermined section of a plate, eithery of Which may be brought into operative relation with a plate by rotating the block, and means for holding the block in its adjusted position.

7. In a plate clamp, the combination of a plate support, a clamp blockpivotally mounted in the support, `ay clamping surface at the edgev of one vertical side' of ,the block, a clamping surface on the opposite edge of another 'vertical side of the block, either of which surfaces may be brought into operative relation With a plate by rotating the block.V

8. In a plate clamp, the combination of a plate support, a recessin-the support, a

clamp block pivotallyv mounted in the recess,

a clamping surface at the edge of one Vertical side of the block, a clamping surface at the opposite edge of another vertical side of the block, a plane surface on the third y l .side of the block, j any of which surfaces may be brought into desired'relation with a plate by rotating the block, and means for holding the block in any of its' adjusted positions.y Y 'y 9. In a plate clamp, the combination of a plate support, a clampr positioned in operative relation with the support and having a clamping surface arranged to one side of the vertical axis of the clamp,

Louis A. SCHMIDT. p

and means for r'rotating they clampvto bring the clamping 

